Vanity case, cigarette case and analogous article



Feb. 21, 1933. N QTTINGER ET AL 1,898,386

VANITY CASE, CIGARETTE CASE, AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES Filed Jan. 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .AHWHI (3y fiqgerlamma a KMATTORNEY 1933. N. OTTINGER ET AL 1,898,386

VANITY CASE, CIGARETTE CASE, AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES I Filed Jan. 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS g ATTORIQEY Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNETE'D STATES PATENT OFFICE NATHAN OTTINGER, F NEVI YORK, N. Y., AND ROGER LHOMIMIE, 0F PARIS, FRANCE; SAID LHOMME ASSIGNOR TO SAID OTTINGER VANITY CASE, CIGARETTE CASE AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLE Application filed. January 23, 1932. Serial No. 588,286.

This invention relates to vanity cases, cigarette cases and analogous articles, and has for its general object and purpose to provide a case or container having a simple and easily operated closure means therefor, and which is of such construction as to enable such vanity or cigarette cases to be produced in a great variety of novel and ornamentally attractive forms.

More particularly, it is an important object of our invention to provide closure means for thecase body embodying relatively movable members hinged upon the body walls for springing movement in directions at right angles to each other, and one of said members overlying the other member when the case is closed, together with simple and effective means for retaining said closure members in their closed positions.

It is a further general object of our invention to provide a vanity or cigarette case as above characterized which is of simple and durable construction, may be produced on a quantity production basis at comparatively small cost, and will be highly convenient and serviceable in practical use.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the improved vanity case or similar container, and in the form,

construction and relative arrangement of its several parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subj oined claims.

In the drawings wherein we have'disclosed several simple and practical embodiments of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate cor esponding parts throughout the several views,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing one form of our improved vanity case, the cover members therefor being in closed position;

v. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the case open;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1; illustratn native'embodiment of the invention, the case being closed;

Fig. 7 is a view of the latter construction, showing the case open and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, as illustrated in Figs. 1., 2 and 3 thereof, in one construction of our improved case, we pro vide the case body 5 of any preferred form and dimensions which may conveniently be produced as a sheet metal stamping having the bottom wall 6 and the upstanding marginal flanges or walls 7 preferably joined with the bottom wall 6 by the rounded or convex wall sections 8. This case body may be of any required depth to receive the cosmetic material 'or other articles indicated at 9.

Upon one of the marginal side walls 7 of the case body, the cover member 10 also consisting of a sheet metal stamping of substantially the same cross sectional form as the body 5, though of less depth, is hingedly mounted as shown at 11. This cover member carries on the inner side thereof the usual form in curvature to the marginal flanges of the cover member 10. One side edge or flange of the cover member 13 extends at right angles to the hinge 14:, the obliquely inclined edge 16 of said cover member extending across the width thereof. This cover member at its free end may be provided with the latch finger indicated at 17 which, when said cover member is in its closed position in superimposed relation to the cover member 10, is adapted to cooperate with one of the knuckles of the hinge 11 of the latter cover member, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings to thereby releasably retain both of said cover members in their closed positions. If desired, the hinges 111 and 14 may be spring hinges operating upon the release of the latch finger 17 to automatically move the respective cover members to the open positions as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It will, therefore, be understood that a vanity case of this construction may be held in the hand, and simply by applying a lifting pressure to the finger 17, both cover members will move to open position.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, when the two cover members are closed with the oblique edge 16 of the cover member 13 eX- tending across one side of the case, the closed case will present a novel and attractive appearance. The cover member 13 may be pierced as indicated at 18 or otherwise ornamented, and if desired, the outer surfaces of the cover members 10 and 13 may be enameled in contrasting colors, or provided with other selected mediums of surface ornamentation.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, we have shown a slightly different form of the device in which the cover 10 is hinged on the right-hand side wall of the case body 5 instead of upon the left-hand wall thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. The supplementary cover member 13 is substantially of the same fo m as that above described and is mounted and latched in its closed position on the case body by similar means. As indicative of the possibilities in such a case construction of novel and ornamentally attractive effects, in this form of the device we have shown the cover member 3 provided at each corner thereof with the triangular shaped opening 20. A college banner or other symbol or insignia indicated at 21 may be suitably applied upon the outer surface of the cover member 13 between these openings and the remaining surface of said cover member, and the outer surface of the cover member 10 enameled in the respective college colors. Upon this outer surface of the cover member 10' at suitably spaced points, the initial letters of the owners name as indicated at 22 may be suitably applied so that when the cover member 18' is in its superimposed closed position upon the cover member 10, said initial letters will be visible through the respective openings 20 in the cover member 13.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8, we illustrate another embodiment of our invention in which the case is of somewhat larger size than the vanity case illustrated in Figs. 1 and 1, and is designed as a holder or container for cigarettes as well as cosmetics. Therefore, the body 5' of the case is of somewhat elongated form, one end thereof receiving the pan or other holder 9 for the cosmetic materials. Upon one longitudinal side wall or flange of the case body, the cover member 10a is hinged as at 110,, said hinge extending from one end of the body 5 to its approximate center. The cover member 10a at one end extends beyond the latter end of the hinge 11a and may be of any suitable ornamental form or configuration as indicated at 10?). The other end portion of this cover member on the inner side thereof carries the mirror 12a. The free longitudinal side edge of the cover member 10a is provided with the spring latch finger 17a to engage a slight protuberance 5a formed upon one side wall or flange of the case body 5.

Upon the end of the case body 5 corresponding to the end 105 of the cover member 10a, the supplementary cover member 13a is hinged as at 14a. To this end wall of the case body on the inner side thereof, a conventional form of spring clamp 25 for the cigarettes which occupy the space between said end of the case body and the pan 9, is suitably attached.

In the above described construction, the cover member 13a, is first moved to its closed position extending over the cigarette receivin compartment of the case body. The cover member 10a is then swung inwardly and downwardly over the cosmetic receiving section case and with its end portion 10?) extending over and in superimposed relation upon the cover member 13a. Preferably this end portion 10b of the cover member 10a has its marginal edges slightly flanged or curved inwardly as shown at 100, so that the surfaces of the two cover members will be in spaced non-contacting relation when the cover members are in closed position. As seen in Fig. 8 and in the opening movement of the cover members, the member 13a will have contact only at its opposite side edges upon the flanges 100 of the cover member 10a.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily appreciated that by means of our present invention, such vanity or cigarette cases or other small metallic containers may be manufactured on a quantity production basis at comparatively small cost. By the provision of the coacting cover members when the same are in closed position, said members are securely held against accidental opening movement and the contents of the case are protected against deterioration. The several examples of our new case construction which we have selected for the purposes of illustration reveal that such construction readily lends itself to the production of the cases in a great variety of highly ornamental and attractive forms. At the same time, the manufacturing cost or expense will not appreciably exceed that incident to the production of the conventional type of such cases as are now in common use.

While we have herein shown and described several desirable and practical embodiments of our present improvements, it is nevertheless to be understood that the essential features thereof may also be incorporated in various other alternative structural forms, and we accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly incorporated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:

1. A case comprising a body, and closure means for the open side of the case body including members respectively hinged upon one end and one side of the case body for movement in directions at right angles to each other, one of said members extending over and in superimposed relation upon the other member when the closure members are in their closed positions, and means carried by the first named member coacting with the hinge of said other member for releasably latching said closure members against opening movement.

2. A case comprising a rectangular body having marginal walls or flanges, and closure means for the open side of said case body including a rectangular member substantially of the same dimensions as the case body, hingedly mounted upon one side wall of the latter to extend over and completely cover the open side of the case body, and a member hingedly mounted upon one end wall of the case body for swinging movement at right angles to the first named member adapted to extend over and in superimposed relation upon the latter, and having a free edge extending across the outer surface of said first named member, and means for releasably latching said second named member to the case body to retain said members against relative movement in their closed positions.

3. A case comprisin a body, a closure member for the open si e of the case body, a spring hinge connecting the closure member with one edge of the case body and urging the same to a normal open position, a second supplementary closure member hingedly connected to another edge of the case body extending at right angles to the hinged edge of said first named closure member and movable into superimposed relation to the latter when said closure members are in their closed posiber at its free end releasably coacting with the hinge of said first named closure member to retain said members in closed position.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we have signed our names hereto.

NATHAN OTTINGER. ROGER LHOMME. 

